THE HELPING HANDS OF A SERVANT

Rev An Yohan
(The Blind Korean Pastor)

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28).

This year I had the privilege to speak at an overseas KOSTA (Korean Students All Nations) missions conference again. Having participated several times at this yearly conference, I was blessed anew through the many attendees’ selfless acts of service. Here are a couple of moments that left a deep impression on me.

It was during a large group session. Approximately 3,000 attendees overfilled the main gathering area. A torrential downpour came and pressed down against the tent above us, threatening our safety. Before we realized, several attendees swiftly got up to empty the rainwater out of the downspouts using buckets and allowed the program to continue uninterrupted. They continued this act for several hours.

The next day at dusk I inadvertently startled a young man on my way to the shower. He had been secretly shining the shoes of the conference speakers that had been muddied by the rain the night before. Later I found out that he had recently finished his doctorate degree and was preparing his return to Korea. This humble act moved me deeply. What I witnessed in the examples of these young men and women was the yawning gap between mere volunteerism and acts of service.

We live in a world where the concept of service has been distorted by sin. In our fallen state, we expect to be served by others, particularly by those below our socio-economic status. In fact, even when we engage in volunteer work, we want to be noticed and publicly acknowledged. However, a true act of service is to first consider others better than ourselves regardless of their background. Our best example was set by none other than Jesus himself: the Son of God, sovereign over all Creation, humbled himself before his rebellious people. Indeed, in obedience to God, Jesus willingly gave up his own life to serve as the ultimate atoning sacrifice for all humanity. I pray that we may imitate Jesus daily and treasure each person and live humbly serving others.

(Source: New Light Mission of the Blind, September 2016.)

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT

C H Spurgeon

“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” (Acts 19:2).

It may be well to notice what question the apostle did not put to these Ephesian disciples of John. He did not say to them, “Have you believed?” This would have been a very important question, but it ought to be settled once and for all. Our faith must either be boldly affirmed or sorrowfully denied, but it should not remain the subject of question. It is a great pity that so many Christians are always saying, “Have I believed?” and allowing that most vital point to be a matter of debate, for as long as the existence of faith within our souls is the subject of question, we must be unhappy. Faith is the cornerstone of the edifice of godliness, and if it is not well laid, and known to be well laid, there can be no sense of security to the inhabitant of the house. We not only ought to know that we believe, but to know whom we believe, and it would be well for us to advance beyond common believing to assurance, and then to full assurance—the assurance of faith, the assurance of hope, and the assurance of understanding.

How Did Your Faith Come About?

Again, Paul does not put the question, “If you have believed, how came it about? By what turned from darkness to light. Thousands in the fold of Jesus come to the good Shepherd by degrees. Many who now walk in the light received daylight, not by the leaping of the sun above the horizon in a moment, but as our days mostly begin in this country; a little light tinged the eastern sky, and then came a rosy hue, followed by a dim dawn, and afterwards came the actual rising of the sun, which comes out of the chambers of the east, and runs his course till he has created perfect day. Many are gradually brought to Christ, and yet they are truly brought to Christ. I say we may ask about the when and the how of conversion if we wish to be interested, as we have a right to be, in the stories of the godly, but we must not ask such questions as if they were of vital importance, and should stand first.

Paul does not inquire about ways, and means, and times, but he does ask—“Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” “Do you see a connection between your believing and the Holy Spirit? Did you receive Him when you believed? Have you received Him since you believed? Are you daily receiving Him as you believe?” That is the subject which is now before us—the Holy Spirit in our hearts as believers. Has your faith been sealed by the impress of the Holy Spirit? This is a point of the utmost importance, and upon it I desire to speak with deep and solemn earnestness in the power of the Holy Spirit Himself.

Miraculous Signs Have Ceased

You know, dear friends, when the Holy Spirit was given in the earliest ages He showed His presence by certain miraculous signs. Some of those who received the Holy Spirit spoke with tongues, others began to prophesy, and a third class received the gifts of healing, so that wherever they laid their hands disease fled before them. I am sure that if these powers were given now in connection with the reception of the Holy Spirit and your believing, you would all be anxious to possess them. I can hardly imagine a single Christian who would not put to himself the inquiry, “Have I received the Holy Spirit in that agencies was faith created in your souls? When did you first become believers?” These are very proper questions if we view them as points of interest, but they do not touch the essence of salvation. A man may be saved, and yet know none of the details of his conversion. No doubt, there are many strong believers who could not point to any special agency as the means by which faith was begotten within them. In general, it was by the hearing of the word of God, and by the operation of the Holy Spirit, but they do not remember, as some do, a remarkable text, or a thrilling sermon, or a striking providence, through which they were fashion?” You would want to be healing, or to be speaking with tongues, or to be working miracles, by which you could benefit your fellow men and glorify God, would you not?

Now, be it never forgotten that those works of the Holy Spirit which are permanent must assuredly be of greater value than those which were transitory. We cannot suppose that the Holy Spirit brought forth the best wine at first, and that His operations gradually deteriorated. It is a rule of the kingdom to keep the best wine for the last and therefore I conclude that you and I are not left to partake of the dregs, but that those works of the Holy Spirit which are at this time vouchsafed to the Church of God are every way as valuable as those earlier miraculous gifts which have departed from us. The work of the Holy Spirit, by which men are quickened from their death in sin, is not inferior to the power which made men speak with tongues. The work of the Holy Spirit, when He comforts men and makes them glad in Christ, is by no means second to the opening of the eyes of the blind. Why, sirs, men might have the gifts of the Spirit as to miracles, and yet might perish after all, but he that has the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit shall never perish, they are saving blessings, and where they come they lift the man out of his sinful estate, and make him to be a child of God.

More of the Holy Spirit

Once more, the Holy Spirit can yet be more fully possessed by all believers. If there should be a brother or sister here who has a notion that he cannot have any more grace, I am afraid he is especially in need of it. The perfect brother I must leave to the angels, he is above my reach, for I am sent to fallible men. I conceive that when a man is so good in his own esteem that he cannot be better, he is even then no better than he should be, and is either cracked in his head or his honesty. However, I leave him to his own master, but as for you and for me, let us be certain that if we have been taught of the Spirit, there is more light yet for the Spirit to give us, if we have been quickened of the Spirit, there is more life yet for the Spirit to impart to us, if we have been comforted, there are greater consolations yet which the Spirit of God can apply to our hearts, if we have been made strong, we can be stronger yet to do yet greater exploits, if we have had communion with Christ, we can have closer communion yet, and enter more thoroughly into the secret place of the tabernacle of the Most High. If it can be, then why should it not be? Does not every man or woman here that is a Christian say, “I mean to realize all the possibilities of true religion”? A little religion is a miserable thing. He that has just enough to save him at last, may not have enough to comfort him for the present. He that has much grace, and is filled with the Spirit of God, shall have two heavens, a heaven here and a heaven hereafter. I desire to make that true in my own case. I would find two heavens in Jesus; are there not many more? He who has the Spirit richly shall have the joy of the Lord here to be his strength, and the joy of the Lord hereafter to be his reward. Come; let us ask for all that God is willing to give. Does He not say, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it”? Come, you little ones, why remain little? Our prayer for you is that you may be as David, and David as the angel of the Lord. Come. You are living on crumbs; why not eat abundantly of the bread of heaven? Do not be content with pennies, for a king’s ransom is at your disposal. Poor brother, rise out of your poverty. Sister, bowed down by reason of the little of the Spirit of God you have received, believe for more, and pray upon a larger scale. May the Lord enlarge all our hearts, and fill them, and then enlarge them again, and fill them again, so that from day to day we may receive the Holy Spirit, till at the last Jesus shall receive us into His glory.

(Extract of sermon #1790 delivered by CH Spurgeon on the Lord’s Day, July 13, 1884 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London.)